← Honest Record · Pick Winner · Mr Fox

John Smith's Nursery Handicap Stakes

14:35 Chester Sat 19 Sep 2026 0m7f1y Class 5 Soft 11 runners

View the racecard →

Mr Fox’s call

Somers Isles silks

Somers Isles

SPECULATIVE Advised 2/1 Est. 32%

🥉 3RD

Mr Fox says

Somers Isles (SR:79, 2/1) is the highest-rated runner in this modest Class 5 nursery and has steamed 11% in the market, suggesting stable confidence. The form reads 23 — a place on debut followed by a runner-up effort — showing consistent progression for Andrew Balding (18% strike rate, a top trainer in this sphere), while the class drop of one tier from last run means this is clearly an easier assignment. Carrying 9-9, it has a 3lb weight advantage over top-rated Gerry's Darling (SR:81, 9-2) which offsets the narrow SR gap materially on soft ground. P.J. McDonald (14%) is a reliable booking and the market move from 2/1 confirms this is the yard's intended winner. Each-way alternative: Gerry's Darling. Main danger: Gerry's Darling — Gerry's Darling (SR:81, 11/2) is technically the highest-rated horse in the field, has steamed 14% in the market, holds DistFit:+ confirming proven ability at this trip, and a recent form run of 133 shows genuine improvement into this race off MarkMv:+3 — the weight concession to Somers Isles is the only reason it is not the selection.

Verify· #18608

Full result

Winner: Crazy Cubana (IRE) at SP 16/1. Mr Fox’s picks highlighted in gold.

  1. 1 Crazy Cubana silks Crazy Cubana Ed Walker · Ashley Lewis(3) 20/1
  2. 2 Absolute Diamond silks Absolute Diamond Fox #3 David Evans · Pat Cosgrave 7/1
  3. 3 Somers Isles silks Somers Isles Fox #1 Andrew Balding · P. J. McDonald 2/1
  4. 4 Nascent Star silks Nascent Star Hugo Palmer · Liam Wright(3) 16/1
  5. 5 Red Tail silks Red Tail Richard Hannon · Seamus Cronin(3) 22/1
  6. 6 Sovereigns High silks Sovereigns High Ralph Beckett · Jack Doughty 17/2
  7. 7 Gerry's Darling silks Gerry's Darling Fox #2 Roger Fell · Joanna Mason 4/1
  8. 8 Navy Light silks Navy Light Richard & Peter Fahey · Oisin McSweeney 11/1
  9. 9 Koodini silks Koodini Fox #4 Hugo Palmer · Jason Watson 10/1
  10. 10 High Hazard silks High Hazard Hugo Palmer · Mason Paetel(3) 14/1
  11. 11 Persian Land silks Persian Land David Evans · John Egan 12/1

Top 4 — how each finished

  1. 1 Somers Isles silks Somers Isles 2/1 🥉 3RD
  2. 2 Gerry's Darling silks Gerry's Darling 11/2 7TH
  3. 3 Absolute Diamond silks Absolute Diamond 11/2 🥈 2ND
  4. 4 Koodini silks Koodini 9/1 9TH